How Exercise Affects Mental Health

It's no secret that exercise has a range of health benefits, including reducing the risk of conditions like heart disease and stroke.

But what many people don't know is that exercise can also be great for your mental health.

In fact, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that regular exercise can improve mood, reduce anxiety and stress, and even help with depression.

So if you're looking for an all-around healthy lifestyle, it's important to make sure you include regular exercise as part of it.

And who knows – you may find that the positive effects on your mental health are just as important as the physical ones!

Now let’s delve a bit deeper into the topic, shall we?

Physiological Benefits

People tend to think of exercise as a way to lose weight or build muscle, but it actually has a number of physiological benefits that affect not only the body but the mind as well.

Exercise increases the production of endorphins, which are hormones that have a mood-elevating effect.

In addition, it helps to improve sleep quality and reduce stress levels, thereby improving your mental health drastically.

Furthermore, regular exercise has been shown to increase cognitive function and protect against age-related decline.

All in all, on a biological level, exercise helps the body produce hormones that inevitably upgrade the brain!

So, listen up…

If you’re feeling down, or like age is taking its toll on your body and mind, remember that a little exercise, done regularly, may be just what you need to boost your mood and overall wellbeing!

Psychological Benefits

Besides the obvious physiological benefits that manifest on a biological level, the effects of exercise have a direct impact on your psyche.

In my opinion, there are 3 main, important effects - Self-esteem, resilience, and the mind-body connection.

Let’s have a look!

Improved Self-Esteem

Perhaps one of the most important psychological benefits of exercising and being in good shape is the drastically improved self-esteem.

So you see, there is a reason that so many people enjoy working out.

When you are in good shape, and you have been working out regularly, you just feel better about yourself.

You feel more confident, and you feel like you can take on the world (especially when you have your pump on.)

This is a great feeling, and it is one that you should strive to experience.

There is nothing like the confidence and self-esteem you can get from peak performance and supreme physical aesthetics!

Mental Resilience

Fitness training can help you be more physically tough, that's a given.

When you do a lot of fitness training, your body gets tougher and can handle more loads and more pain.

The same thing happens with your mind.

When it is used to doing hard things, it becomes stronger and can handle more stress.

Certainly, training isn't all there is to mental resilience and facing challenges, but it does help!

If you are just getting into training, do expect to feel this very soon!

Mind-Body Connection

Nowadays, most people are disconnected from their bodies. We lead busy lives and are constantly on the go.

We eat unhealthy foods, don't get enough exercise, and don't take the time to connect with our bodies.

Perhaps, one of the best ways to boost your mind-body connection is through training.

When you engage in regular physical activity, your body and brain start working together in a more coordinated way, to ultimately overcome the load they are going through.

This improved communication can lead to better overall health and well-being, as well as enhanced cognitive function.

In case you feel like you’re neglecting your body… Get your butt to the gym!

Final Thoughts

Well, it seems that not only is exercise great for our physical health and wellbeing, but it might also be really good for our mental health as well.

This should come as no surprise to those of us who have experienced the intra and post-workout high.

All in all, if you are looking for an easy way to boost mental health, don’t hesitate to include regular training in your schedule!

What’s your take on training and mental health? How did training change you, psychologically?